I get soooo excited when I hear the songs I grew up with, especially songs I can groove to and sing along. I often get so sick of the current stuff because we hear it everywhere, and when I don’t feel inspired musically, I can always count on some old school 90s r&b and hip hop. This was definitely of one the top 5 classes I’ve ever taught! And I like to think the class felt the same…

This weather has got me in a blues rock funk! This week’s playlist was in tribute to that. I was hesitant to diverge from my typical top 40, pop, hip hop groove, but I am sure glad I did! This music makes me wanna sit out in the sun, sip some ice cold PBR, and smile my face off. This music makes me happy! Check out this video from The Black Keys… you cannot help but smile!

…when it hits you, you feel no pain. -B. Marley

My current obsession is “The Shouting Matches”. If you’re a fan of blues/rock, you gotta peep The Shouting Matches… fan of Bon Iver? Well, guess what The Shouting Matches is Justin Vernon’s side project. Groovy music to chill to… and apparently spin to!

Last night on PBS, there was a documentary on exercising and what the optimum amount of physical activity provides the optimum results. This is always a tricky theory to answer, because every body is built differently. Our genes play a factor in how our body responds to physical activity and how we process foods. Though genes can play a role in how we look, I do believe with hard work and dedication, we can reverse what we may be negatively predisposed with.

I often get questions around how much to exercise, and for me, I think the ideal scenario would be 5 times a week 45 mins to an hour each session. For the majority, that may be considered way too much, and if you think that’s not enough, maybe you should revisit the reason why you work out. If you’re not training for a competition, there really should be no reason to work out more than that. If you believe so, maybe revisit the reason why you work out.

In this documentary, Michael Mosley defies the traditional theory that spending countless hours at the gym is the primary way to lose weight. Instead, he suggests that doing short, yet intense amounts of hard work is just as beneficial, if not more, than spending hours with steady state cardio. Yes, some people are less responsive to high-intensity training (HIIT), but in general, there are internal (less visible) benefits of this type of training as Michael demonstrates. He even goes as far as suggests that 3 minutes of high-intensity training PER WEEK is sufficient to reap rewards. That might be a bit extreme for me, but it does imply that it’s not quantity but quality that counts!

If you know me at all, you know I’m no fan of steady state anything. In fact, I often refuse to run because I find it more detrimental than beneficial. However, I don’t discourage people from steady state cardio if that’s what they truly enjoy. Ultimately, the goal is to move and be active, so whatever activity that brings you joy and promotes health, you should continue regardless of what this study says. Here’s the documentary if you’re interested.

Nothing beats the 90s. It’s my era. It’s when music really meant something to me more than just background noise — when the lyrics had meaning, and I could sing along to. This era developed the foundation to what I love and listen to today. I’ve always wanted to incorporate this era into my spin classes, but found it challenging. 1) it’s tough to really sprint to 2) there’s a plethora of songs – which ones do I choose 3) jumping is out of the question 4) it’s a very niche genre and could disappoint a good number of people… but you know what, screw that! I’m teaching the class, so I’m gonna play what I want…bahaha

“Stay far from timid. Only make moves when ya heart’s in it. And live the phrase Sky’s The Limit!” – Christopher Wallace